What InfusionSoft Looks For in New Hires

InfusionSoft, a Chandler, Ariz., company that offers SaaS-based CRM, e-commerce, social media and automated email marketing to small businesses, will hire 150 people this year to accommodate its business growth. And, indeed, its growth prospects are strong: In 2012, the company earned revenue of close to $40 million, and in January Goldman Sachs invested $54 million in the company.

Though the company will be hiring in every department, much will be in development and IT, Tassiello says.

What They’re Looking For

Tassiello describes InfusionSoft as a company that hires, trains and fires “to the vision,” so cultural fit is key. “When candidates apply, we’re making sure they’re able to do the job, but a major piece is making sure they’re passionate about small businesses and in line with our core values,” she explains. “We’re all on this big mission together and we want to make sure we’re aligned with where we’re going. So the cultural fit is really important to us.”

Culture

So what’s the culture like? Tassiello describes InfusionSoft as “incredibly entrepreneurial,” with workers expected to take total ownership of their role in achieving the company’s mission.

“People aren’t told exactly what to do all the time,” she says. “They have to be able to create and collaborate with others. It’s a very collaborative environment. There’s a ton of communication, a lot of transparency. People have to be able to take something and run with it. It’s like you have your own mini-business and you’re making decisions within that business, so you have to understand the impact of your actions. There’s a ton of ownership within every job.”

Standing Out

What kind of person gets InfusionSoft’s attention? “We want candidates to be able to express who they are as a person and how that fits in at InfusionSoft,” Tassiello answers. Of course, she wants to see your resume and your work experience, but it’s “OK to show some fun and flair and personality,” she says.

“We like to see people’s stories,” she continues. “If your parents owned a small business and you’ve been part of that journey, you understand the pains and struggles. We want our employees to have that connection with our customers. And to see something creative and off the wall is nice for us. We value that.”

One of the positions InfusionSoft is hiring for is business intelligence developer, which is all about being able to tell a story out of data. In filling the role, the company’s asking candidates to include a consumable report that tells a story from data, be it on sports or hiking or anything else they’re passionate about. “We like to see people’s thought processes and problem-solving,” Tassiello explains.

Advice for Experienced Professionals

For these folks, it’s important to clearly define what’s important to you and understand where you can excel. “Some people do well in a really structured environment, others in a more entrepreneurial environment,” observes Tassiello. “Some people like to have fun at work and others just like to do their work. They need to understand what will make them the most successful. It’s all about matching up with a place that will foster your best.”

Advice for New Grads

When it comes to fresh graduates, Tassiello wants to see how they can apply their experiences in school to the job. So, make your resume relevant to the position you’re applying for. “Students have all these amazing things they’re learning in school, they’re part of extracurricular activities, clubs. Those experiences most likely will apply to the position they’re applying for,” she notes.

“Forget everything you learned about being canned and proper in your resume because it doesn’t stand out at all,” she advises. “If you developed a video game on the side just for fun, that’s relevant to how entrepreneurial you are and the skills that you have, your work ethic. We want to hear about those sorts of things.”